Dec. 6, 2005

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BROOKINGS, SD - Boo Davis scored 21 points, all in the second half, and Joah Tucker added 19 as the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee claimed a 76-51 win over South Dakota State Tuesday night at Frost Arena.

The Panthers (3-2) used a decisive 25-8 second-half run to take control of the game after leading by as many as 13 points in the first half.

Matt Cadwell scored 20 points and Michael Loney added 13 for the Jackrabbits (1-6).

Milwaukee slowly wore out South Dakota State by shooting 53.6 percent in the second half while rolling up 45 points. The Panthers patiently moved the ball from the post to the perimeter, countering double teams in the low block and an occasional 2-3 zone. Davis made 6-of-8 from three-point range in the second half, while Kevin Massiah also added a three-point tally.

"They were doubling the post and I just kept telling our guys to make the extra pass," Milwaukee head coach Rob Jeter said. "Anytime they're going to double the post they'll have to scramble out, and that's what it is, a scramble. So, if we're patient enough to make that extra pass and move it around the perimeter, we're going to get open looks. Then it was up to us to knock them down and Boo definitely started knocking them down."

Milwaukee led by just eight points early in the second half after six-straight points by the Jackrabbits moved them back into contention. But then Davis took control, scoring 17 of his points during the 25-8 run, making five 3-point baskets in the spurt. He started with five-straight points to build the lead to 46-32 and then knocked in back-to-back threes for a 54-35 lead. A jumper by Tucker then made it 57-35 before a Davis three pushed the advantage to 60-35 and the Panthers emptied the bench from there.

"Joah and I talked in the locker room at halftime and he said he was going to get me some open looks," Davis said. "I took advantage of some open shots. I was just reading the screens, seeing where the ball was and getting open shots."

Milwaukee's defense also had an effect on the Jackrabbits. SDSU shot just 42.9 percent for the game and committed 25 turnovers while holding second-leading scorer Ben Beran to just five points.

The Panthers made two runs in the first half to build a 31-21 advantage after the first 20 minutes.

First, Milwaukee opened the game by scoring the first 13 points, holding SDSU scoreless for more than seven-and-a-half minutes. The early run saw Tucker and Jason McCoy score four points apiece, while the Jackrabbits missed their first seven shots and committed six turnovers.

After SDSU recovered by scoring 11-straight points to pull within 20-18, the Panthers ended the half on an 11-3 burst. A Tucker three started the run, which was capped by a Smith steal and layin just before the halftime horn.

Tucker was the star for the Panthers in the first 20 minutes, scoring 13 points while converting of 5-of-7 attempts from the field. Meanwhile, only two players cracked the scoring column for SDSU, with Loney scoring 13 points and Cadwell adding eight. Both teams had a hard time taking care of the basketball, though, as the two squads combined for 25 turnovers in the first half.

The Panthers return to action Saturday night, hosting Hawaii at the U.S. Cellular Arena. The game tips off at 7 p.m. CST and is a rematch of last year's ESPN Bracket Buster contest, which Milwaukee won, 87-71.

Additional quotes and notes, plus a box score, will follow later this evening